Curtain stretcher



Dec. 9, 94l. A. P. sElDl. 2,265,874

I CURTAIN STRETCHER Filed May 9, 1959 y INVENTOR |=1| nig F'. EE'I'DL;

Patented Dec. 9, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CURTAIN STRETCHER Alice Pearl Seidl; Van Nuys, Calif.

Application May 9, 1939, Serial No. 272,571

4 Claims.

This invention relates to means for stretching fabrics, curtains and the like and for holding them in stretched condition until set which is generally by drying.

The invention consists principally of a plural- Fig. 1.

ity of bars that are designed to grip the edges ,A of the fabric in a manner not to harm it, all the bars of which are movable for adjustment vertically and horizontally so as to assure their parallelism and equal distribution of stresses in the fabric. The bars form a rectangular frame which Y are supported by straddle-legged supports at the ends of the frame.

The size of the stretching device will depend upon the type and kind of fabric and also its size.

Although wood may be the present preferred mae terial from which to construct the device, other materials may be used such as metal; some of the parts, however, may consist of cellulose compounds and their derivatives.

An` object of the invention is to provide a I 5 frame for stretching fabrics which is designed in a manner not to damage the same, and which can be economically constructed and sold to the trade at a low price.

Another object is to provide a rectangular frame for stretching fabrics, all sides of the frame being adjustable to assure parallelism and equal distribution of the stresses in the fabric.

Another object is to provide means for gripping the edges of the fabrics, the means being constructed of foldable parts which are designed to be clamped over the edge of the fabric, resilient means being combined with the parts to prevent damage to the fabric.

A still further object is to present a curtain stretcher into which the curtain can be easily and quickly adjusted in place and removed.

Other objects, advantages and features of my invention will appear from the accompanying drawing, the subjoined detailed description, the preamble of these specifications and the appended claims.

Applicant is about to illustrate and describe one of the forms of her invention in order to teach one how to make, use and vend the same,

Fig. la shows an enlarged fractional View of a part of the invention.

Fig. 5 shows a plan View taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Numerals I and 2 represent spaced apart horizontal bars or beams which are adjustably attached to front upstanding legs 3 and 4. Each leg has a rear leg indicated by 5 movably attached to the front leg as by the hinge 6 for adjustable straddling support. The bottoms of the legs are provided with elastic or rubber non-skid tips "I, The front and rear legs are adapted to be spread apart as shown in Fig. 2 and are provided with a chain or wire 8 to prevent collapsing of the legged support. One end of each wire is provided with a screw-eye 9 fixed to the rear leg 5 and the other end of the wire is provided with an eyelet stem I0 which is adapted to be inserted into any one of a plurality of holes indicated at II. By placing the stem of the eyelet I0 in the lowermost hole II, the front and rear legs can be brought closer together than when the stem is placed in one of the higher holes. This adjustment obviates means for shortening the wire or chain 8.

The rear sides of the beams I and 2 are provided with guides I2 near their ends. The guides are merely offset metal plates having bores congurated to match the outer surfaces of the front legs. The guides are telescoped by the front legs, as shown, for sliding engagement. They have flanges I3 which are fastened to the rear of the beams by screws or any other means suitable for the purpose. The guides are provided with enlarged holes I4 along the sides thereof, and which are large enough to easily receive the stem of an eyelet I5, best shown in Fig. 5. The stem of lthe eyelet is of sulicient girth to snugly t the holes I I of the legs so that the guides and their respective beams can be but it is to be understood that the drawing and description thereof are not to limit the invention in any sense whatsoever, except as limited by the appended claims.

In the drawing: Fig. 1 shows the invention in front elevation. Fig. 2 shows the invention in side elevation. Fig. 3 shows a fractional part thereof enlarged.

securely held in any horizontal position along the front legs 3 and 4.

Each beam comprises two component parts I6 and I'I which are pivoted together by hinges I8 as shown. Along one edge of the part I6, is a Istrip of sponge rubber I9, which is glued or otherwise held thereto. The other component part I'I is provided with a frictional strip of metal or other material 20 along the edge thereof. The strip 20 has stamped therein small triangular projections 2I which are adapted to slightly embed themselves in the edges of the fabric to be stretched. When the component parts I6 and I1 of the beams are rmly pressed against one another, with the edge of the curtain therebetween, resilient U-straps 22 are forced onto the beam as shown in Fig. 1. This securely holds the curtain so that the beams may be spread without any danger of the curtain slipping or being damaged.

The holes II along the sidescf the legs are numbered, as shown in Fig. 4, so that the guide members I2, at the ends of either one of the beams can be adjusted to the proper hole "in order to make certain that the beamsY are `horizontal or in proper parallelism with one another.

Whenever the vertical edges of the curtain' 23 are provided with open hems, zas-indicated by the numerals 24 and 24', vertical bars or flat rods 25 are inserted therein. These-rods consist of two parts 25' and 25 which are arranged in telescoping relation with one another so that they can be extended to a length almost the combined lengths o f their component parts 25 and 25". Since these sliding curtain rods are in common use, it isnOt seen necessary tofurther describe them. The ends of the rods are provided with bayonet slots 26. Near the longitudinal hinged edges of the portions I1. are provided rows of headed pins'2'l which are adapted to receive the bayonet slots at the ends of the rods'25. The pins. 21 are also numbered so that the rods can be vertically'spaced along the beams and kept in parallelism with respect to one another.

To stretch the curtain 23 in the frame, rod 2d is first run through the open hem ofthe curtain and the slots at the ends thereof placed over the pins numbered VI of the top and bottom beams, `open position of beams I and 2 being assumed. The ro'd"2'!i is then run through the hem attheother vertical end of' the curtain and its slots placedover the pin `heads nearest approached 'after' the curtain'has v'been stretched horizontally. AThe Ypin Ynumbers 'in thislast instance 4may beyfor instance, Iii) in 'bo'th upper and lowerv beams. Now, since the vertical edges are xed to the frame, it is only 'necessary to laythe top-edge of the curtain againstthe'strip 2asstraight^as possible and'then close the'beam so-asto clamp the'edge, 'and 'while holding 'in clamped position, toilock the `folded beam by -forcing thereon the U-straps 22.

The lower edge'of the curtain is then placed iin the lower open beam-and then locked 'therein asin the `manner set forth for the top beam operation. After the lower beam is `iirmly attached =to thel curtain -edge,-the1 beamfis `forced downwardly until the curtain -is lunder proper tension, then locked in its -downward vpositionbyinserting Aeyelet stems orpins I5through theguides `and linto the proper or nearest hole II along the side of the frontlegs.

However, when one of the edges -of the fabric is not provided with an open hem so as to receive a rod 25, a bar 28 is provided. 'I'he bar-28fis very similar to the 4beams I and 2 and comprise component parts 2S and 3l) (see Figs. 4 andz4a) which .are hinged together by the Vhinges'3l. The upper end of the vertical bar 28 is provided `I and 2.

with a guide 32 which is attached to receive a strip 33 extending beyond the edge of the part I1 of the beam I. A similar strip 34 is provided and extended beyond the end of the part I1 of the beam 2 against which merely rests the bottom end of the vertical bar 28. The adjacent ends of the parts I1 prevent the bar 28 from being pulled toward the opposite ends of the beams. The-vertical bars '28 are adapted to be held in clamped position by resilient U-straps the same size as used on the beams. The part 3U of this vertical bar has fixed along one of the edges thereof a sponge rubber strip 35, and

along the edge of the part 29 is a strip 38 havelements 31 like .the ones described for the beams The parts 29 and 33 of this bar are .adaptedfto be clamped in locked position by the .U-straps 22,

' Whenever the vertical Vbar 128 is employed, obviously the rod v-25 at the same end of `the frame is removed. lThe bar '2B must be substituted for the rod 25 when there'is no open hem at itsend of the curtain. Obviously, .a similar barlike 28 would be substituted 'iorithe other rod."25 `at the other end of the frame should the device be used for stretching fabrics upon which there is noopen hem whatever.

Having'thus described my invention, what is claimed as'new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a fabric stretching vdevice having supporting means, a lframe for receiving the fabric -comprising top'and bottom horizontalbeams and verticalbars, vsaid 'beams comprising elongated Yhinged sections adapted to clamp the top vand `bottom edges of the fabric, said bars compris- -section--of -each -beam is provided with a. roughenedstrip -and `the other section. of each beam 'with an elastic strip so that fabric placed between the sections of 'the beams are resiliently forced -into gripping relation with Ythe roughened strip.

4. In a -fabric stretching device 'having supporting means, a frame for receiving the fabric com- '.prising top and bottom Vhorizontal beams and vertical bars,f said-beams comprising elongated 4hinged sections adapted -to clamp the top and bottom edges of the 1fabric, said bars ycomprising telescopingsectionswhaving their ends clamped between .the sections -of said beams so that the beams can be vertically adjusted Ywithout disturbing said bars, means extending'beyond the ends of the beams, la vertical bar having hinged sections adapted to clamp the fabric along 'its vertical edges, -one of the sections having vtop Vand boti'fomattaching elements for-engaging the ALI CE P.l SEIDL. 

